


Interlude

by xocean



Category: Captain America (Movies), captain america: the winter soldier - Fandom
Genre: CA: TWS, CA: TWS filler, Canon Compliant, Gen, Natasha-centric, aka nat and fury's tumultuous mentor mentee relationship, aka the conversation nat and fury should have had, character relationship study, pre-AOU, steve and sam have like a one second cameo, strictly platonic & professional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 04:24:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5613844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xocean/pseuds/xocean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Because you didn't trust me." There it was. Fury was right - Natasha was too much of a professional to ever say it. "You put me below Hill. Below Steve? I was here first."</p><p>"You're one of the most dangerous people in the world," Fury said, "Whether or not everyone knows about it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a refresher from my main BuckyNat fic. Also because there's no way Natasha and Fury didn't have even a tiny spat about him keeping her out of the loop in TWS considering her reaction to his death. Also because if Nick Fury can tell Tony Stark in AOU that he cares about him, he can damn well tell Natasha the same thing - even if its in not so many same words. Happy reading!

* * *

Natasha turned a corner and walked steadily, heading into what Maria had called their "temporary rooms", which was a little more than a cubicle made by drapes and a single, flat mattress on the floor, which was when her senses pricked up and she almost attempted to use the papers in her hands as a weapon.

Fury raised an amused brow, perched on a chair that wasn't there before. "On edge, Romanov?"

She stared for a second, before reshuffling the papers in her hand. "You should be resting."

"I'm not one for lying around," Fury said blandly, shifting a little. "You know that."

"Well if you're still keen on that dramatic entrance you've got planned tomorrow, you should be." Natasha said cuttingly, still looking at the papers. Her eyes raced over the words, memorizing details on the Councilwoman she was going to impersonate, but there was no denying the bubble of hot anger in her belly.

"Natasha." Fury paused, a silence heavy enough that she had to look at him. He looked almost pitiful, with blood still coagulated in areas of his face, and the way he was holding his body spoke volumes of the pain he was in. Natasha would know. Fury looked grim. "You know what I'm here for."

"I don't," Natasha lied stoutly, because she knows, knows all too well Nick Fury's ways of apologizing without actually saying the words. And maybe Natasha was selfish, focusing on petty matters such as feelings and silent promises, but she's going to infiltrate the World Security Council while being an outlaw and then expose all of the secrets she's worked so hard to hide over the years - if Fury wants to apologize, he can say it or get the hell out.

He made a bristling sound. "I know you're angry -"

"Don't be silly," Natasha snapped.

"I don't want us to go into this shit as enemies!" Fury retorted loudly. A wince crossed his features, the exertion of raising his voice evidently too much for his injuries.

She stared back mutinously. "I never said anything."

"And you never will, which is why I am," he said, glowering. "I know you."

"Oh, _do_ you." Natasha said coolly, dropping the papers onto the mattress forcefully before turning back to him. "Is that why you went to Steve and not me? Why you chose Maria with this little, this little secret?"

The anger Natasha was masking was written all over Fury's face. "I had my reasons, Natasha. Reasons I'm pretty damn sure you understand, even if you aren't acting it."

Natasha reared back, ready to retort, but suddenly a head poked around the cubicle.

"Fury!" Steve said accusingly. He leaned back and let out a yell. "He's in here!"

Natasha turned, arranging her features as footsteps fell quickly and Sam appeared behind Sam, looking both reproachful and amused.

"Jesus, old man," Sam said, shaking his head at Fury. "Steve lost his shit thinking you were missing."

Fury gave them both the most unimpressed look Natasha's seen on him. Sam was looking at her, and then at Fury, then back at Natasha. In three swift motions he seemed to have read the tension in the air, a move that was ten steps ahead from Steve, who was still glaring at Fury.

"We're already tensed up as it is," Steve said sternly, crossing his arms. "You need to get back to the doctor."

Fury looked even more unimpressed at this. "I think I know what I'm doing, Captain."

"I'm sure Director Fury can find his way back," Sam intervened before Steve could open his mouth. "Let's go."

Steve turned suspicious, glancing at the still-silent Natasha. "What's going on?"

Natasha stared, as did Fury, and Sam shook his head.

"Come on, man." Sam stepped away. "Leave 'em to it."

Steve stood where he was. "Nat?"

Natasha felt a rush of both affection and irritation at his overprotectiveness. "It's fine."

Steve turned, gave Fury another serious look for good measure before finally leaving.

There was a brief pause before Fury spoke lightly. "Looks like you got yourself a bodyguard."

"Oh please." Natasha bent, gathering the papers now scattered over the mattress. Sam and Steve had given her a minute to cool off and gather her thoughts. Natasha thought she wasn't as angry anymore, but the feeling of betrayal was almost overwhelming as she stood in front of him again. "You could have told me."

"I -"

"From the start." She cut him off. "You had your suspicions even when you sent us to the Lemurian Star. You could have told me then."

Fury shook his head. "I didn't know what I suspected. Even if I'd been my most paranoid... HYDRA would have been a far-fetched theory, even for me. I didn't see the point."

"You didn't have any of these reservations when you put me on Stark," Natasha said, just enough acid in her voice to make him purse his lips. "You saw plenty of points in sending me to analyse him for the Initiative. Even when we were a year away from the Chitauri."

"Stop it," he said irritatedly. "You're trying to pinpoint when, if ever, I treated you differently. I know what you're doing."

"Fine. Let's cut the crap." Her hands balled up. "You left me out because you thought I was HYDRA."

He stared.

"Because you didn't trust me." There it was. They'd reached the crux of the situation, on Natasha's side at least. This was the thing weighing her down, and now its out. He was right - she was too much of a professional to ever say it. "You put me below Hill. Below Steve? I was here _first._ "

She's vaguely aware what a childish statement that was. But there it was.

Fury sighed, a weary sound that did little to cool the blistering hurt she was feeling. "I trust you."

"Stop lying to me," Natasha snapped. Deja vu. What was Banner doing, wherever he was?

"Fine. Listen." He folded his hands together. "I went to Steve because we were dealing with the Winter Soldier. You're one of my best, but the man's a supersoldier. Of course I knew he was gonna come back to finish the job. I needed him to be able to hold up against the Soldier."

Her fingers curled slightly. She already knew this.

"I let Hill on this for obvious reasons. You had too many eyes on you, and judging from what I've been told," Fury linked his fingers. "You were already busy with the Captain."

Natasha crossed her arms. "If Hill and I's positions were reversed -"

"Then I would have run SHIELD a lot differently if you were Deputy." Fury shook his head. "What are you looking for, Romanov? Those are my reasons. This is the longest damn conversation I've ever had with any of my operatives about any damn decision I've made. And you _know_ that I made the right call, so what the hell are you holding back for?"

Natasha stared. That was all very logical and sound, but... "You still thought I was HYDRA."

There was a pause, then Fury let out the most weary sigh she's ever heard from him. "I didn't." He nodded slowly. "But I wondered."

She took a deliberate step back.

"Which doesn't mean a damn thing, Romanov," Fury pressed on, "Because I had wondered about everyone." 

"I'm not everyone," Natasha said shortly. 

"Which is exactly what I'm talking about!" Fury stood up, meeting her eye-to-eye. "It was the Black Widow that I was shifty about. What?" He demanded, sounding more like himself than he had this entire conversation. 

Natasha had bristled. "That has nothing to do with anything."

"Oh, it has everything to do with my one dumb move that's got us talking feelings right now. You're one of the most dangerous people in the world, whether or not everyone knows about it." Fury's stare was dead serious. "I hadn't guessed about Barnes' memories before, but brainwashing isn't some fresh new HYDRA invention. I had to be  _sure,_ Natasha." Fury crossed his arms. 

She stared at him, feeling about twenty years younger, back to the time when she'd come in with Clint, freshly defected, and faced off with a younger Nick Fury in a SHIELD holding cell. That time they has exchanged sharp, sarcastic words about her loyalties. This time, Natasha realized, they're discussing  _his._  

And Fury had said a lot now - not enough to soothe the sting that came with being lied to about his  _death,_ but enough to warrant peace between them. 

"Alright." Natasha adjusted the corner of the pathetic mattress with her foot before looking back at the former director of SHIELD. "We're fine. Get back to your bed before Steve gets an ulcer." 

Fury snorted and limped past her.

"I didn't want to go into this as enemies too." The words leave her mouth before Natasha could stop herself. "Thanks." 

Fury turned around, bracing his ribs. "I only put Wilson on the rescue list after I heard someone broke into Fort Meade. I know very few people who can do it. Just one, actually." He eyed her. "Was gonna have Hill drop him off at a local hospital, but Natasha Romanov doesn't trust easy. Come to think of it," Fury snorted again, turning around, "I don't, either."

Natasha didn't hold back on her smirk as he left.

* * *

 


End file.
